PEOPLE on the island have become an unhealthy lot with Cypriots drinking more alcohol, consuming more sugary foods and drinks than ever before and not eating enough fruit and veg.
Residents are simply not healthy enough despite having the advantage over some European neighbours of easy accessibility to a healthy Mediterranean diet.
According to a study conducted by the European Data Food Networking (DAFNE) programme, Cypriots are not eating healthily, with many people thinking that drinking plenty of juice is a healthy way to live.
But they are in fact, doing more harm than good because juices contain a lot of sugar.
Since 1990, Greece has been coordinating the DAFNE initiative, a joint effort of European countries to compare the food habits of their populations and monitor over time trends in food availability through the creation of a non-static, regularly-updated food databank.
The overall aim, according to the researchers, is the development of a nutrition monitoring tool that could assist the formulation, implementation and evaluation of nutritional policies across Europe.
The report on Cyprus, however, may be looked upon as a slap in the face for many who think that they have a healthy and nutritious diet.
Speaking at a news conference about the report, clinical dietician Eliza Markidou said that Cyprus has also seen an increase in obesity with the official results of the study expected to be ready sometime next week.
In a study that took place between 1997 and 2003, people in Cyprus were also shown to be eating less fruit and vegetables in the daily diet “most likely because of evolving a western way of life” and that we are now eating less red meat “something that shows that Cypriots are being influenced by certain campaigns”.
Markidou also told reporters that there appeared to be an increase in alcohol consumption as well as an increase in food and drink that contain sugar and fat, adding that Cypriots were in fact eating more sweets than before.
However despite the increase in unhealthy food consumption, Cypriots are in fact drinking more juice than ever before but that is not necessarily a good thing Markidou explained.
“Although there has been a decrease in the consumption of fruit and vegetables, people are drinking more juices. But they too contain sugar”.
The DAFNE programme does not take into account ready food such as take-away, fast-food and delivery meals, while another programme is taking place to study the repercussions of such meals in our diets.
The final results of this study should be released towards the end of 2008.
